High stakes medical thriller that excels because of its procedural accuracy and chilling realism.
Dr. Jacey Flanigan has just completed her pediatric cardiology residency and landed a prestigious position at the Children's Heart Hospital in Manhattan. Her excitement at the new job turns sour after a run-in with a hostile heart surgeon and the discovery of a culture defined by rigid secrecy. Jacey notices disturbing patterns -- surgeons refuse to operate without their own specific teams and don't want her observing in their rooms, and the post operative course doesn't seem to be the norm. When a patient nearly dies under suspicious circumstances, Jacey doubles down even as she starts to suspect that whistleblowers before her arrival have not survived. Trapped in a web of collusion and coverup keeping her at distance, Jacey seeks to expose the truth.
This was the first good medical thriller I've read in a long while. I devoured it as I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that the author swapped out melodrama for the far more frightening portrayal of institutional silence and greed as well as the hubris of surgical ego. I liked the main character of Jacey and appreciated her strength in not backing down even as the newbie in her job. I liked the accuracy of the clinical detail and the believability of the scenario. I'll definitely look for more of this author's books.
I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book, both obtained from my local library. The narrator, Susan Lyons, did a good job with the voice of the main character, but the other vocal choices felt uninspired and flat. The accents (southern) didn't ring true and the male voices all sounded basically the same. This production definitely would have benefited from at least a male narrator or a full cast. I always like listening while reading as it typically enhances my whole reading experience.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre and tags: medical thriller, mystery, pediatric cardiac patients
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